Ripe produce stand returns to Edwards with new location; open starting Monday

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EDWARDS — With its fourth summer getting underway, Ripe returns offering some of the freshest, tastiest, most unique delicacies from local farms, bee keepers, artisanal craftsman and more.

“Local” has become the buzzword around town when it comes to grocery shopping, but what does buying local actually mean? And why should we focus on it?

“At Ripe, we define local by products that can reach the stand between breakfast and lunch,” said Mikey Hovey, owner. “The farms Ripe works with are small. Farmers are able to make a living as Ripe takes care of the marketing, logistics and customer relations that most small farms do not exactly have time for.”

Buying local can be hard in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Learning how to take advantage during the times when it is possible will enliven your taste buds, diversify your menu and encourage exploration of surrounding regions. Eating locally also means greater nutritional value will be retained since it was picked ripe and has not had the chance to lose much nutrition in transportation. Lastly, eating locally is an investment in the future. Supporting local farms today means they will be there tomorrow and hopefully for years to come. This is important for food security, especially as our current reliance on fossil fuels increases to keep up with demands to produce, package, distribute and store foods.

Ripe offers access to locally produced food, helping the Vail Valley take advantage of all the wonderful harvests Colorado provides during the warmer growing months. Stop by to see what is growing in Colorado.

Ripe is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Edwards Corner, just across from Eat!Drink! and Cut!; Wednesday evenings starting June 25 at The Ritz Carlton in Bachelor Gulch from 4 to 7 p.m.; and Sundays at the Vail Farmers’ Market.